Bathtub headrest



oct. 22, 1957 B. E. oLssoN BATHTUB HEADREST Filed Deo. 20, 1955 f s. .w f/

mm /f u United States Patent l 2,810,137 BA'TIJITUB` HEADREST Billy Erik Olsson, Chicago, Ill. Application December 20, 1955, Serial No. 554,187 7 Claims. (Cl. 1 -'18s) This invention relates to a headrest for use in connection with a bathtub lwhereby a bathers head may be supported ina comfortable position while the bather lies relaxed in the tub.N

One ofthe primary purposes of my present invention is to provide a'head rest of the character indicated which can be readily "adjusted as`to height and as to position longitudinally ofthe tub and which will be so suspended as to automatically adjust itself to various positions which the headofthe bather may assume so as to thereby afford a rest which will conform to the head position and provide maximum comfort for the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head rest which may folded up against the wall entirely outside the confines of the tub where it will not interfere with cleaning of the tub or with a bather taking a shower bath therein.

Another object is to provide a head rest which can be easily assembled and disassembled, permitting the flexible head support to be detached from the supporting arms whenever desired and which can be readily adjusted to various positions and which by reason of universal mounting of the support will automatically accommodate itself to the position of a bathers head.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Vshould be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing my novel headrest positioned for use;

Fig. Z is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the supporting arms and connected parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the brackets, certain parts being shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 6 indicates a bathtub of conventional or preferred design at the head end of which it is proposed to install my improved headrest.

it will be observed that the rest is not attached directly to the tub, but is supported from the head wall 7 upon which a pair of brackets indicated generally by reference character 8 is mounted by means of conventional screws or bolts (not shown). Each bracket comprises a base 9 and an arm 11 pivotally supported at one end on the base by a pintle 12. The arms 11, by reason of the pivotal mounting, may be swung upwardly into substantially vertical position against the face of the end wall so as to be entirely clear of the tub where they will offer no interference with cleaning of the tub or with a shower bather standing therein.

Each arm 11 is vertically adjustable and is supported in different adjusted positions by a dog 13 urged by a spring 14 into engagement with one of the shoulders 15 formed in the base 9. Handles or grips 16 may be ern- 2,810,137 Patented Oct.v 22, 1.957

ployed to withdraw the dogs 13 from holding position to enable the arms 11 to be lowered when desired.

Each arm 11 is also provided on its top face with a plurality of spaced apart grooves 17 and is provided on its outer face with a longitudinally extending groove 18 forming overhanging lips 19 between the grooves 17 beneath which a longitudinally extending portion 21 of a bifurcated link 22 is engaged. This link, which may be formed of wire of suitable size and strength, is curled at its free ends to form a pair of eyes 23 in which is rotatably mounted a member 24 extending substantially parallel with the adjacent arm and adapted to partake of rotative or oscillatory movements about its longitudinal ax1s.

Each member 24 is provided with a transversely extendingopening 25 in' which is disposed the eye 26 of a bolt 27, the bolt being pivotally secured in the member 24 by a pin 28 about which the bolt may swing longitudinally of the member. Rotative movement of the members 24 in the links 22, together with the swinging movements of the bolts 27 about the pins 28 affords a universal automatically adjustable support for the headrest.

The bolts 27 are threaded through the head blocks 29 disposed in parallelism with the members 24. The threaded engagement serves to-adjustably hold the blocks 29 on the bolts whereby the blocks are swiveled so as to tilt on the bolts.

The head support consists primarily of a web or strip 32 of flexible material, such as canvas or the like, upon which the head may be supported and, if preferred, a pad 33 of sponge rubber or other suitable padding material may be applied to the upper face thereof to provide greater comfort for the user. The ends of the support are wrapped around and clamped to the head blocks 29 by plates 31 secured to the blocks by screws 30. The support is thus suspended between the arms 11 and its curvature may be varied by adjusting the position of the head blocks on the bolts 27.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided a head rest for bathtubs which is capable of universal adjustment and also capable of automatic conformation to the position of the bathers head. The arms 11 of the brackets may be adjusted to any vertical height, and the linksV 22 carried by the arms 11 may be adjusted longitudinally of said arms by disconnecting them from the lips 19 and positioning them in others of grooves 17. The members 24 are rotatable in the links and the bolts 27 may be swung lengthwise of the arms about the pins 28. Finally, the head blocks 29 are capable of tilting about the axis of the bolts and the position of the blocks longitudinally of the bolts may be varied by adjusting the blocks longitudinally of the bolts.

A universal adjustment of the position of the support 32 is accordingly provided, so that the utmost comfort to the user of the headrest is afforded.

Obviously the structural details illustrated and described may be varied within considerable limits without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bathtub headrest, comprising a pair of brackets constructed to be mounted above the head of a bathtub and to project longitudinally of the tub in spaced apart relation, each bracket including a base, an arm pivotally mounted thereon so that the free end thereof may be vertically adjusted and means for holding said arm in adjusted position, a member disposed parallel to each of said arms and rotatably connected thereto, a bolt pivoted on each of said members to swing in an arc longitudinally of said member, a head block carried by each of said bolts, said blocks being adjustable longitudinally of said boltsandbengireeta..ti1t.abm1tthalgnaitudinalxsof said bolts, and a head support suspended from and between said blocks so as to automatically conform to variousfpositionsioffthmbathersyhead- Y 4 l 2. A.bathtubuheadrestwcomprising ra: pairrofimed apartwall :brackets eachconsistinszbf 82 b asefrnndiaxlm porting i arm adjustably mounted; `tlnerfm.' anmember; disposed :imsubstantialoparallelism with; eachV oftsaidmrms, means whereby ,saidumembers :are A:rotatably.slllifvxwritftd from said arms .to 'rotatex aboutzgaxcs 'suhstantialllyf pra1- lel with said arms,,a-bolt pivotndaatzone. end to each; of saidfmcmbcrs sofasi to; fpermit;Y 1 the: free, end; therecff A,to swing longitudinally of saidamemben La 1hed;b1,0k pivotallyfimountedoonteach of l saidi bolts; anda: flexible hcadisuppprt suspended. betweennsaidgblocks.

13.A2-gbathtub ,headrest.. .comprising i a; pair of ,spaced apart wall brackets each including a base, an arm pivoted theregnrand fmeans'or supportingnsaid arm :in adjusted position, arcexibleheadosupport suspended; between said armsfiand .means ineludin g ,azpair ofi rotatable members, a .holt pivoted-ionzeach member, and `a headblojck pivotallytmounted .on= eachwbolt, .wherebynsaid v `support issus pendcd` ,sc as towber capable ,of ,universali adjustmentto conformlozthepositionof thelheadnof a user.

Mtn-The headrestdenedinoclaim 3, ,in which Athe bracket bases are provided with abutment shoulders and the supporting arms are provided withspring biased 4dogs arrangedtoengage said shoulders *forisupporting said arms .in adjustedpositions.

V5-'lbeheadrest-deffinertn,claim?, in which Said r0- tatable members are supported from said arms by links rotatably supporting said members and detachably counected to said arms.

6. The headrest defined in claim 5, in which means connect said supporting links to said arms for adjustment longitudinally of said arms to vary the position of the headrest longitudinally of a tub.

7. The headrest'dened in clam 6; in which said arms are provided with a longitudinalv groove and a plurality of transverse grooves spaced apart and communicating with said longitudinal groove, and va link .constructed and arranged to be adiustablyengaged Win -said grooves for supporting the head rest invarious positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

